


Stronger than I Ever Knew

by LesbianShipsAF



Category: House of Cards (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Past Sexual Assault, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 20:33:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9089680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesbianShipsAF/pseuds/LesbianShipsAF
Summary: One shot where Frank finds out what happened to Claire freshman year





	

**Author's Note:**

> TW:: non descriptive mentions of past sexual assault

Frank awoke with a start. He rubbed his eyes and looked over at the clock by the bed. It read 1:53. He was confused as to why he had awoken so early.

“No! No!” he heart Claire scream as she frantically flailed her arms, giving him his answer.

“Claire, honey, wake up,” Frank begged her. They had been together for quite a while and he had never known her to panic in her sleep like this. He was very concerned, but more so confused.

His words seemed to have no effect on her. Frank reached out and grabbed her shoulders trying to still her movements, while saying, louder this time, “Claire! Wake up! It’s just a dream!”

“No! Stop touching me!” she yelled in reply. Suddenly her eyes snapped open, as if the sound of her own voice had awoken her.

Claire forcefully pushed Franks hands away from her. She ignored the hurt confused look on his face and whipped a layer of sweat off of her forehead.

“It was just a dream,” Frank spoke so softly as if he was afraid speaking too loudly would somehow hurt the woman in front of him, “Do you want to tell me what it was about?”

Claire still shaking answered quickly and forcefully “I don't remember, it was probably nothing. i’m sorry to have woken you.”

Frank eyeballed her. He knew she was lying. He hoped to get the truth out of her. Frank was used to this, to Claire shutting him out. He could hear her sometimes crying at night when she thought he was asleep. He pretended not to notice how she jumped when he unexpectedly touched her. Frank knew there was something, something bad, going on with Claire. However, he always knew he had to give her her time. She would tell him when she thought it right.

He had tried to ask before, but that didn’t go well. She tensed up, and shut him out. Frank wanted her to let him in more than anything. He realized now that it would have to be on her terms, asking would do nothing.

Frank opened his arms allowing her to come in for a hug. It was a simple gesture but as soon as she fell into his warm arms Claire allowed her sobs to overtake her.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Francis,” she cried.

Frank lightly traced his fingertips up and down her back in a protective motion. “For what?”

Claire did not answer for a moment. She allowed her sobs to calm down until she spoke. “I….I have never told anyone this” Claire whispered between sobs.

Frank repositioned himself so he was leaning against the pillows at the top of the bed. Claire was curled up into a ball on his side, and his arm was wrapped around her protectively. “There isn’t anything you can’t trust me with,” he told her then placed a soft kiss to the top of her head lingering for a second with his lips and nose just barely touching her hair, feeling comfort in the familiar sent of her hair.

“Freshman year, I…uh…..I had a boyfriend. We didn't date long until we got into this fight.” Claire paused for a moment took a deep breath and continued. “He..he wanted to..um.. have sex but I told him no, I wasn’t ready yet.” Claire paused again getting the courage to continue, but once she did the words kept flowing out of her. “I told him no, but he didn't care. He pushed me down onto my bed and forced himself on me, in me. I tried to stop him I tried so hard, Francis. I wanted to yell, to scream, but I couldn’t. I could barely breathe. I thought I was going to die. He wouldn't stop, all I wanted was for him to stop.”

Claire was now sobbing again.

“Never do that. Never apologize for that. What happened was not your fault. That sick bastard! Tell me who it was, and I’ll make me pay for what he did to you!” Franks anger overtook him as he pictured the scene the woman he was in love with described for him.

“No! No!” Claire begged, “Please don't do that, please.”

Frank looked down at the woman in his lap, she look so fragile so helpless; nothing like the woman he had grown to know. Frank knew what he had to do, what he had to do for her.

Frank help Claire all night. He promised to protect her and never let anything like that happen to her again. He knew he couldn't change the past and what she so desperately needed was to be comforted in the present. He would spend the rest of his life trying to keep that helpless look out of her eyes, and ensure that the happy glow stayed in.

What he didn't realize was that even though she was leaning on him now, she didn't need him. She had dealt with this on her own, learning how to separate herself from the victim. She placed that girl into a compartment and looked at her as if a different person. However, sometimes, like tonight, that girl needs comfort.

Even though Frank wouldn't realize it for many years to come, Claire was the strongest woman he had ever met.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! Please comment and tell me your thoughts about my fic or just the show, I love to hear what you guys think!


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